The National tribune., 1887-03-10
THE DEPENDENT BILL.
A Splendid Defense Of This Measure OF Justice.
1BOstOu Journal

Boston Journal
Several Mugwump papers, notably the New
York Erening Post. have made series Of savage
attacks upon the measure known as the De
pendent Pension Bill" which has passed both
branches of Congress and is now in the hands
of the President. 1t is a fact certainly well
known to all those who were in the service
during the late war that many men who were
not disabled in the line of duty returned to
their homes with the germs Of disease rooted
in their systems. Take. for instance, a cam
paign like that which ended in the surrender
of Lee at AppOmattOx-a campaign which en-
braced 12 days of the severest effort, and of
constant exposure, without food, days in which
there were no hours of rest, and during sev-
eral of which men were wet to the skin, sleep
ing, when they had opportunity, on the damp
ground, in wet clothing. and often without
covering, in the chill March and early April
airs it not probable that thousands of men
had their constitutions so weakened by this
exposure and privatiOn that, while they went
out of the army six weeks later apparently
sound men, the seeds of insidous disease were
sown in the system, which appeared soon after
in the form of rheumatism and the kindred
ailments which always show themselves in
bodies in which the handspring of action and
vigOr has been weakened by being overstrung?
And yet these men, who are as much invalids
by the service as if they had been wounded,
cannot get pensions under the existing laws.
Many of the men in the service at the close of
the war were over 40 years Of age and not a few
over As. These men are now nearing $50
old that if they escaped serious injury they are
unable to earn their bread by daily toll. Shall
such men, who have faithfully served their
country, and who are now the objects of public
and private charity through no misconduct on
their part, be sent to poorhOuses with the con-
sent Of rich Nation of 60,000000 of people,
which to-day would not be a Nation but for the
efforts the privatOns and the sacrifices of these
men and their comrades? Any man who was
in the army and now has any extended ac-
quaintance with those who were in the same
organization can recall a number of men who
| were good soldiers, but who are now poverty
stricken because they are unable to labor as
| other men are by reason of premature inirmi-
/ ties, due to hardShips while in the service.
Massachusetts,, remembering the pledges of
| the great-hearted Andrew, has cared
/ for these broken-dOwn men or the
widows of those who have died without pen
sion, paying annually out Of the treasury of
| the Commonwealth nearly 1915, 900 for their
assistance. The Grand Army Of the Republic
has ascertained that Z, 900 ex soldiers in the
| poOrhouses of the country, and as many more
/ are depending upon private charity. The best
\ and most influential men in that organization
believe that this ought not to be; and the Ma
/ tiOnal Encampment, at the head of which is
Gen. Lucius Fairchild, man who is respected
throughout the country for his high character
and patriotism. has made strenuous effort to
secure the passage of the bill which is now in
the hands of the President. They are neither
| greedy claim agents nor selfseekers, but the
intelligent representatives of an organization
to whose roll-eall 100000 ex-soldiers respond
In the name of that notable and historic rem
nant, they ask that deserving ex-sOldierS bt
relieved from the ignOminy of pauperism. TIC
| this demand a class of newspapers declare thai
these men would open the door to great frauds
and dilate upon a story of soldiers Of the Revo
luton who, under similar law, put theil
property out Of their hands in order to avail
themselves of small stipend of $50 or 500
year, and that many who were not soldiers go
the pension. Fortunately, the records Of The
soldiers of the late war are full, that no sucl
imposition can be practced now, if it ever was
Moreover the 10000 Grand Army Posts scat
tered throughout the country will zealOusl.
guard against the pensiOning of unworthy per
sons under the pending bill.
The extreme bitterness with which some 0
, the papers have attacked this measure and it
!, supporters is aston ishing The New York Pos
for instance. alludes to them and those who vii
seek its benefits as Hessians and plunderers
Fortunately the American people are not al
fieted with AnglOmania and remember wit
7 gratitude the soldiers of the late war. Congress
has made haste to vote LIBERAL not to say lavish
pensions to the widows of high officers VIII
were not in special need and has received th
cordial approval Of the country-why should
, neglect the actually needy in the rank and file
, Much has been said about the cost of the d.
= pendent Bill. The outside estimates do not pJ
? the annual cost at over four or FIVE millions an
the total expense at not over forty millions
the most.